


Frankenstein's Dragon

by ifwegettherebysunset



Series: Vrains Rarepair Week 2019-20 [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Past Lives, but they're not too important to the story, still has VRAINS canon tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:26:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22037026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifwegettherebysunset/pseuds/ifwegettherebysunset
Summary: Day 1: Time and LimitsYou only have a limited time to impress the Signers. Yusaku won't let that stop him.
Relationships: Fudou Yuusei/Fujiki Yuusaku
Series: Vrains Rarepair Week 2019-20 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1586218
Comments: 13
Kudos: 25
Collections: VRAINS Rarepairs 2019!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I got lucky! Saw this writing week's blog just a couple days before it started!  
> Side note, of course Yusaku won't be a bitch like Frankenstein

One year before the next Signer appears, Kusanagi's truck breaks down. Since he's Yusaku's ride home, they both have to wait for the tow truck.

Fortunately, the garage isn't far enough that Yusaku has to endure the truck's exhaust for long. The garage itself is spacious, letting him breathe after the close quarters. As an added bonus, the mechanic, who calls himself Yusei, doesn't talk much either.

Yusei's good-looking by society's standards, though the prison marker's quite a blemish. The blue of his eyes are as unique as Yusaku's green, set in a well-proportioned face and lean frame. He speaks quietly and succinctly, only saying what he needs to stay without embellishment. Not at all what the media represents as criminals.

Yusei does good, quick work. He's close to being a passing notice in Yusaku's memory.

When he finishes, Yusei tells him, "I look forward to your next duel."

Yusaku starts.

Yusei tilts his head. "You're Playmaker, aren't you?"

Kusanagi's a tense pillar beside Yusaku, but he keeps his tone friendly. "Yusaku here doesn't use VRAINS."

"It doesn't interest me," Yusaku adds flatly.

Yusei stares at him. Yusaku knows he knows they're lying.

Yusei turns and says, "Sorry. My mistake."

* * *

Eleven months before the next Signer appears, Playmaker meets Stardust.

He knows it's Yusei immediately. His hair is in the same style, though it's white with blue streaks instead of black and yellow. His eyes have more silver in them, but the blue is unmistakable. He hasn't changed his body type either, despite the gleaming uniform of white pants, boots, plain shirt and jacket all with blue touches. His gloves, though following the colors, even look the same.

Playmaker reviews his stats as he watches him mingle without speaking to anyone. He hasn't dueled much, but he's never lost. What's intriguing is he's left his Ace Card Slot blank like Playmaker had before...before.

Stardust pauses. Playmaker disappears before he can look up.

He hasn't submitted any Replays either, so Playmaker has to comb his opponents to see if there's any footage. Unsurprisingly, there isn't. People don't like to post defeats. But with his record, it's entirely possible Stardust only duels when he's challenged. So he doesn't refuse a duel, but he doesn't actively look for one.

Why is he on VRAINS then?

After the last few years, it's a decent distraction. People have seen glimpses of Playmaker, yet none of Yusaku's friends have reached out, waiting until he makes the first move. He's not going to for a while. Not when he still hasn't found Ai.

"Oi."

Stardust has a hand on his hip, but his stance doesn't come off as arrogant. His expression is as steady and carefully blank as when he'd been guts-deep in Kusanagi's engine.

Playmaker meets his eyes. "What?"

"Why were you watching me?"

"I wasn't."

As before, it's clear Stardust knows he's lying. He doesn't need to say it.

Playmaker turns to look back at the plaza below. "You're the mechanic."

"Yes."

"How did you know?"

"Your face is identical. I haven't told anyone."

Yusaku doesn't know why he believes him. "...thank you."

In his periphery, Stardust nods.

After another beat of quiet, Playmaker asks, "Why are you here?"

"I like watching duels."

"Just watching."

Stardust comes to his side, following his gaze. "Yes. Sometimes people want to play, but." He shrugs.

"Do you not like dueling?"

"I do. Don't you?"

"Depends on the opponent."

"Your skill warrants a high tier."

Playmaker turns back to him. "What about yours?"

Stardust turns too. "I prefer a team, but my deck can do solo."

"...follow me."

* * *

Stardust beats Playmaker. Playmaker beats Stardust. Never in the same order.

Stardust never posts Replays of their duels. He never objects to Yusaku's taking him to a private server, away from other players and reporters.

He must notice Ai's absence. He doesn't say anything about that either.

There are a few panic attacks that force Yusaku to log out when he loses, body trembling with invisible sparks of pain. But Stardust merely asks if he's okay in a message. No gloating, no mocking. No insistence that makes Yusaku answer before he can even remember how his fingers work.

Ai is gone. Stardust offers tentative peace.

"You're smiling," Kusanagi says. "Ah, don't look like that. It's nice to see." He crosses his arms. "Even though you won't tell me what's going on, I'm glad you're happy."

Yusaku doesn't know why he hasn't told him about Yusei. There's no reason not to. But he can't bring himself to do it.

* * *

One month before the next Signer appears, Yusaku walks to the garage.

Yusei looks surprised to see him. Then he smiles, small and sincere. The smile Yusaku's slowly grown used to seeing, though real life adds a touch of _more_.

"Your ace isn't Junk Warrior," he says on Yusei's break.

"No," Yusei says.

"It isn't any of the Warrior monsters, is it."

Yusei says nothing.

"...mine isn't Decode Talker."

Yusei perks up.

Yusaku takes his deck from his disk. The real one. In seconds, he finds what he's looking for.

"The Talker series is like your Warriors for me."

Yusei takes the offered card. Firewall Dragon. "You've never used this against me."

"Not yet."

The smile comes back. "Come back at five."

* * *

The day before the next Signer appears, Yusei texts Yusaku that he can't make their meeting. He doesn't know what's wrong, but he feels ill.

That night, the twin cities of Neo Domino and Den are shaken as the Crimson Dragon roars overhead.

Newsfeeds blow up before dawn. Yusei's face is plastered everywhere.

Without realizing it, Yusaku's time with him is up.

* * *

Being a Signer means more than just a mark. It means being protector and leader. It means having a dragon.

Dragons have been and always will be symbols of power. The Signers are blessed with special ones, birthed from the Crimson Dragon themself. Apparently these dragons have pieces of their soul embedded in their Signer. They always bear different names and appearances from generation to generation—Gandora, Blue Eyes, Odd Eyes, Yubel, to name a few—but every one is from the same lineage.

There are six instead of the usual five, which is strange in itself. That's what makes Yusei such a surprise. But there is Stardust Dragon igniting a Dragon Head in Yusei's arm.

The _Head_. The top tier.

"I can't believe it," Kusanagi mutters, "That guy fixed my truck."

Yusaku can believe it. He can believe that the person who made him realize he'd lost hope again is now far out of his reach. The universe is apparently not done fucking with him.

Everything Yusei does will be monitored now. If Yusaku tries to contact him, his life will be nitpicked for all to see. For that reason, Yusei doesn't try either.

Well. Yusaku trusts that's the reason. Yusei's never been one to go after fame or recognition.

But the name—Stardust.

Did he know?

* * *

Ai isn't coming back.

Yusaku still hasn't wholly accepted this. He knows he should. That he needs to stop doing sweeps, stop turning every time he hears something close to Ai's laugh, stop—just stop.

Yusei can't come back.

Yusaku is tired of losing what matters.

* * *

If you impress a Signer's dragon, you have access to the Signer. You only have one chance.

Stardust is like xir brethren. Xe will be hard to impress. Every photo taken of xem and Yusei has xe curled around xir Signer. Always protecting him, even among friends.

Yusei deserves it. Yusaku wants to tell him that. He wants to tell him—

Yusaku swallows, staring at his keyboard.

He'll be dragged into the spotlight. Nothing will be sacred.

But what have all the battles been, then?

The Lost Incident will be made all the more public. _Good_.

Yusaku graduated high school two years ago, so what are his former classmates going to do? Talk shit? Talk up about their relationship to him?

Ai will be mentioned. That's the only thing that scares him.

But Ai isn't coming back.

Yusaku begins his work.

* * *

It's almost _easy_ , really. The parts are a bit difficult, but Yusaku's nothing if not resourceful. Once Kusanagi gets in on it, fine-tuning the appearance is, if not smooth-sailing, at least a possible goal.

The AI itself is actually the part that takes the shortest amount of time. Yusaku just needs the card's digital signature and that inherent sixth sense lurking in the back of his head whenever he touches a power button. He _feels_ it working, feels it coalescing exactly where he needs it to be.

He's not the only one who wants this to work.

One year after the next Signer appears, Kusanagi laughs and says, "Let's do this."


	2. Chapter 2

You're given one night in the year to line up for Stardust's approval. When you're given the floor, you have five minutes.

It's held in a stadium, since so many people want to try. Stardust kindly blocks most of the blaring lights on Yusei. Yusei, who hates being forced to sit back and do nothing.

The most surefire way to judge a character is through dueling. Five minutes doesn't allow that. Yusei trusts Stardust with everything, but xe feels the same way. So they're both stuck.

At least they have each other. It's still so strange, having Stardust constantly there, flesh and bone instead of a hologram. Jack had stolen xir card and now xe doesn't even need it to be with Yusei. Now Satellite has a bridge and decent housing and Yusei can reconcile.

Still. It would be nice to duel Yusaku again.

Barring the other Signers, Yusaku is the only other person who doesn't need five minutes. He's also the least likely person to take them. They'd been friends, certainly, but Yusei's long since accepted Yusaku's need for privacy. No matter how close they'd become, being close to a Signer is vastly different than being close to a mechanic.

Stardust dips xir head, rumbling gently. Yusei pets xir snout.

It had been Yusaku who brought them together. Yusei had gone to VRAINS looking for Jack, and he'd found a duelist who ignited the spark Stardust had been searching for. Their duels had no stakes, no expectations. They dueled because they were curious. Because they wanted to. And the quiet they shared—Yusaku has a live wire inside him, as passionate as Yusei's, but they never forced each other to talk. How easy it had been.

Being with Yusaku hadn't felt like being with Jack or Crow. But there was a rightness Yusei couldn't shake.

Stardust insists the bright star in his memory is love. Yusei isn't sure he'd go that far. He has nothing to compare the feeling of being in love to besides—besides Kiryu. And this feels different.

As the next person steps up, Stardust murmurs through their bond that there are different ways of being in love. Xe breathes memories—past lives Yusei will never fully recover himself.

A woman with white hair and blue eyes smiles at him with desperate hope. Yusei feels a sudden, painful pang. The same that comes with thinking how he'll never see Yusaku again.

Yusei's phone vibrates.

>>Crow  
Try not to look like a kicked puppy!

Yusei smiles.

>>Crow  
Better!

A roar nearly makes him drop it. The crowd startles.

Yusei knows the Signer dragons. That hadn't been one of them.

He shoots to his feet as a very familiar dragon soars into the stadium.

He should've recognized the sound. He'd heard it when Yusaku smiled at him for the first time.

Firewall Dragon, solid, _real_ , descends before the next hopeful. Circuits glow just like its hologram, but there's a sentience in the eyes.

Yusaku slides from its back.

"I only have five minutes," he says.

Yusei grins from ear to ear. Yusaku can't help smiling back.

"I don't want to lose another friend."

Yusei meets him halfway. The hug is a surprise, but Yusaku clutches him tight.

"You don't have to," Yusei says.

Firewall noses at Stardust. Stardust answers its electric hum with a friendly greeting.

"I'm sorry," Yusei murmurs.

"I know," Yusaku replies.

"I had no idea Stardust was a Signer dragon."

"Your ace card."

"Yes."

"Now you can duel with everything you have."

Yusei laughs right in his ear. Yusaku's gut simmers pleasantly.

"Your dragon—did you make it?"

"Kusanagi helped with the parts."

Yusei pulls back. Firewall dips to meet him. Its eyes glimmer when Yusei touches it.

"Amazing," Yusei says.

Yusaku meets Stardust's eye. "Impressive?"

Stardust roars.

* * *

Three years after the next Signer is found, holding hands is normal.

"I never thanked you," Yusei says as they watch Firewall and Stardust play.

"For what?"

"Coming to the stadium. Defying the limits of AI." Yusei squeezes his hand. "You threw yourself into the spotlight."

Yusaku shrugs. "Playmaker already was. And after all the battles I've had, it didn't seem too hard. Not for you."

Yusei swallows. "Thank you."

"Stop thanking me."

"No."

They look at each other.

It's hard to kiss while they're laughing, but they manage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if this seems rushed. I just really really wanted to get this idea down! It's been haunting me for forever and a half and I wanted to tweak it to fit this week.
> 
> And yes, that was Kisara I mentioned. Stardust and Blue Eyes have a similar color scheme and lunar theme, and I'm not saying there's a connection between Yusei and the Kaibas, but a headcanon of mine looks at Yusei's black hair and face and back at Mokuba and Seto and uhhhh yeah


End file.
